What if you could instantly make yourself smarter, faster, and stronger? In the near-future world of Amped by Daniel H. Wilson, people can do just that. Scientists have created a brain implant called the Neural Autofocus, a tiny computer chip that upgrades normal human abilities. This “amp” is a miracle cure for people with learning disabilities, vision impairments, and certain disorders, but the rest of society is worried that this technology blurs the line between human and superhuman. The nation becomes divided and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court decides that amped individuals are not protected by the Fourteenth Amendment, thus stripping them of their civil rights.

On the day of this landmark ruling, we meet twenty-nine-year-old teacher Owen Gray. Owen has had an amp in his brain since childhood to control his seizures, but he soon discovers that the technology inside his head holds a dangerous military secret. Now Owen is on the run and takes refuge in rural Oklahoma, where he finds a trailer park haven for fellow “amps” and meets an ex-soldier named Lyle Crosby. Lyle was part of an experimental military group of superhuman amps, and he wants Owen to join their ranks to fight back against a fear-mongering senator and his anti-amp organization called the Pure Human Citizen’s Council. Owen wants to help, but first he has to unlock his hidden talents that make him question what it means to be human.

As with last year’s hit Robopocalypse (soon to be a Steven Spielberg film), Amped explores current issues like bigotry and the slippery slope of digital technology. Wilson holds advanced degrees in robotics and artificial intelligence, so he is definitely in his element with this startling and action-packed technothriller. If you enjoy fast-paced science fiction, Amped promises to be one of the most exciting books you’ll read this summer!